New 'Top Chef' Host Revealed Following Padma Lakshmi's Exit

By Ashley Turner

Bravo's Top Chef has a new host. Kristen Kish, the winner of season 10 of the hit show, will replace the long-time host Padma Lakshmi for the 21st season of the show. Kish will join head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons during the upcoming slate of episodes, Deadline reported. Lakshmi hosted the show for the past 19 seasons. According to Bravo's release, the culinary competition will be set in Wisconsin for Season 21 as a new batch of talented chefs from all over the country will compete for the title. "Top Chef is where I started my journey – first as a competing chef, then a guest judge and now as host I have the honor of helping to continue to build this brand," Kish said. "I'm thrilled to sit alongside Gail and Tom as we get to know new incredible chefs and see what they cook up. It feels like coming home." "Kristen Kish represents everything that makes Top Chef incredibly special," said Ryan Flynn, Senior Vice President, Current Production NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. "She's an acclaimed chef and her experience as a cheftestant, winner and judge, alongside her culinary curiosity, makes Kristen the perfect host for the next chapter of Top Chef as we take on a new region of the country we haven't explored."    

Co-CEOs of Magical Elves, Casey Kriley, and Jo Sharon, said, "Kristen is a beloved part of the Top Chef family, and we're thrilled to have her join and bring to the competition her unique, fresh and global culinary perspective, as well as her true passion for food. We look forward to Season 21 and know our incoming chefs will be inspired by the bourgeoning culinary scene in Milwaukee and Madison known for blending tradition with innovation and utilizing farm fresh ingredients." "We are honored to be able to welcome Top Chef to Wisconsin for its upcoming season. said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. We're proud to be known here for our rich food culture, talented chefs and exceptional local ingredients. I know our diverse culinary traditions will help inspire the participants, captivate viewers and showcase all of the great things Wisconsin has to offer." 

Kish was born in South Korea and adopted by a family in Kentwood, MI. She showed an aptitude for cooking at an early age, and she attended Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago at the prompting of her mother, who wanted to further her culinary education, according to Deadline. In the ten years that followed culinary school, Kish worked at several high-profile restaurants in Boston, eventually becoming Chef de Cuisine at a prestigious Relais & Chateaux property. After winning the Season 10 title of Top Chef in 2012-13, Kish became a co-host of 36 Hours, a Travel Channel show produced by the New York Times in partnership with the newspaper magazine of the same name. Kish published her first cookbook, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques, in 2017 and launched her first restaurant, Arlo Grey, in 2018 with Line Hotels. Besides co-starring on Fast Foodies, Kish co-hosted Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend and produced Restaurants at the End of the World.

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